Cyprus: A Mediterranean Jewel

nicosia: the capital

Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus, a status it has enjoyed since the 10th century, though its beginnings date back 5000 years to the Bronze Age. It lies roughly in the center of the island, flanked by the beautiful northern range of Kyrenia Mountains.

Seat of Government, diplomatic headquarters and cultural center of Cyprus, the capital presents two distinct faces: the old, original part of the city, surrounded by sturdy Venetian walls over 400 years old, and a busy modern metropolis that has a population of 171,000 together with the suburbs.

Within the large area encircled by the strong bastion walls that served to protect the town for centuries are many places of great historic interest. The central Eleftheria Square links old Nicosia with the elegant modern city that has grown outside the walls, where hotels, offices, restaurants, and gardens blend happily with the fine old houses and colonial buildings of this cosmopolitan city.

limassol: port of interest

The south coast town of Limassol is the island's largest seaside resort. Acting as a magnificent backdrop to the city that spreads for ten miles along the coast are the Troodos Mountains, where most of the country's grapes are grown. Since the Middle Ages, Limassol has been renowned for its wine and sugar cane. Now, this second largest city of Cyprus, with a population of 135,000, is the center of its winemaking industry and an important commercial and tourist center.

The town's carefree holiday atmosphere, with wide seafront promenade and bustling little shopping streets, is matched by the lively character of its people. With its fun-loving reputation and the best nightlife on the island, it is fitting that only Limassol stages some of the island's best-known festivals: the annual Wine Festival in September, when the various wineries offer free samples of their products for ten days; the ten-day pre-Lenten Carnival with masquerade balls and grand parades; the Limassol Festival in summer; and the ancient Drama Festival at Kourion. Recently, this bustling seaside resort has even been compared to the nightlife and energy of Mykonos and Ibiza.

pafos: aphrodite's birthplace

Pafos is entwined with Greek mythology, and the legendary birth of Aphrodite on its shores brought fame and worshippers there to follow the cult of the Goddess. Landmarks associated with Aphrodite are the chunky, rugged rocks of her beautiful birthshore known as the Aphrodite Rocks; the evocative sanctuary of Aphrodite at Kouklia Village, one-time shrine and scene of pagan festivals for thousands; the Baths of Aphrodite at Polis, supposed source of fertility; and the Fountain of Love, or Fontana Amorosa. Even the town's name is linked to the Goddess: Pafos was the name of the mythological daughter of Venus and Pygmalion.